Destructor



2 Sheets-Sheet l DE STRUCTO R A. H. MANN Filed oct. 5, 1931 Feb. H,

Parenteel Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DESTRUCTOR Application October 5, 1931, Serial No. 566,998

5 Claims.

This invention relates to incinerators or destructors, and among other objects aims to provide improved apparatus of this character for handling highly combustible materials or materials in which a rapid rate of combustion is undesirable.

The invention may be readily un-derstood by reference to certain illustrative constructions embodying the invention and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a high capacity destructor;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a destructor designed for the use of short flame fuel;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a destructor employing along flame fuel; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through an accessory which may be employed in connection with the recovery of lead or other molten material from the material burned.

The invention here shown is embodied in incinerators or destructors designed for burning materials such as insulated copper wire where the high temperatures resulting from a rapid rate of combustion not only increase the production of objectionable smoke but also impair the quality of the copper or the like which it is desired to recover and reuse; or for burning materials containing substances which are so highly inflammable as to be practically explosive if burned at ordinary rates or temperatures such, for eX- ample, as waste lacquer thinner, lms, etc.

Materials such as insulation on wire burn readily; but whether the burning be rapi-d or slow, large volumes of dense, disagreeable smoke are produced which, if permitted to escape, would constitute an objectionable nuisance. In the apparatus herein described the materials are burned by restricting the supply of air, so as to maintain low temperatures and to retard the rate of production of smoke, which as stated above for some materials such as insulated Wire, increases with the high temperatures produced by rapid burning. 'I'he resulting smoke and fumes are then conducted away from the burning chamber and heated in the presence of additional air to effect a complete consumption of the smoke or a safe burning of highly inflammable products. 'I'he consumption of the smoke or fumes preferably occurs at a point from which little or no heat will be communicated to the original burning chamber, so as not to elevate the temperatures therein and to permit the burning to take place slowly and at relatively low temperatures which do not injure the recoverable metal.

In Fig. 1 is illustrated apparatus designed to have a relatively high capacity wherein a large Volume of smoke is developed which requires a relatively large combustion chamber for its consumption. The apparatus comprises the initial burning chamber I appropriately enclosed by Walls II whose interior face generally is made from refractory material. It will be understood that the general structural features of the Walls, arches, etc. conform to standard practice for apparatus of this character. Doors for charging and removing materials such as insulated Wire or lead covered cable are indicated diagrammatically at I2 in the sides of the structure. The material is burned in the chamber I0 at a low rate by restricting the supply of air. This, of course, produces dense smoke Which must be later consumed, but the temperatures at which the burning occurs are not so high as to deteriorate the material desired to be recovered, such as copper or lead, o-r such as to result in danger of explosion where highly inflammable materials are burned. The supply of air is regulated by appropriate means such as the register I2l in the door and it is therefore desirable that the chamber I0 be constructed so that unregulated quantities of air do not leak in.

The smoke or fumes then pass out of chamber IIJ, in this case through the passage I3, and are reheated at a point removed from the chamber I0 and supplied with additional air to effect a complete and safe combustion. The heating means is here shown as a heating chamber I4 shown with a fuel feeding and stoking door I3' and having a fuel burning grate I5 sufficiently separated from the chamber I0 by -a thick bridge wall so as not substantially to elevate the temperature in the latter. It will be noted that the bridge wall is of double thickness and is provided with a passage I4 which conducts additional air to the heating chamber I4. The fuel employed is generally rubbish; but if sufficient refuse is not available, coal or other common fuels may be employed.

In passing over the fire in chamber I4, the smoke and fumes mingle with the hot gases` from the chamber and additional quantities of air supplied at this point 'either through the grate I5 or through the additional air inlet I4', and are thereby elevated `to a proper temperature to effect their complete combustion. The combustion space I6 above and leading from the burning chamber is, in this case, supplemented by an additional burning and settling chamber I1, separated from the former by a bridge wall I1', in order to give the apparatus adequate capacity. The gases pass into the chamber I1 through the downwardly extending passage I8 provided by the depending settling chamber wall. The chamber I1 is preferably larger in section than the passage I8 in order that the velocity of the gases may be substantially reduced and a settling of any solid material effected in this chamber. After the smoke or fumes have been completely consumed, the gases pass into the flue I9 whose draft is regulated by a damper 20.

In burning insulated copper wire, for example,

the temperatures are maintained sufficiently low in chamber Ill by restriction of the supply of air not t produce an objectionable scale on the copper or otherwise impair its value. The hearth of the burning chamber I0 where insulated wire is burned may be either solid or o-f grate form which would facilitate the separation of ash from the wire. A solid or imperforate hearth is, of course, less likely to result in leakage of undesirable air than where a grate is employed. Where it is desired to recover lead from the burning of lead covered cable and the like, a solid bottom is preferable. In the latter case, as shown in Fig. l, the floor or hearth 2| is sloped to an outlet 22 through which the molten lead may pass into a removable receptacle located in the enclosed chamber 23.

In Fig. 2 is shown apparatus particularly designed for the use of a short-flame fuel such as coal, which requires that the smoke and fumes from the burning chamber pass into closer proximity to the fire than where a longer flame is present. The initial burning chamber 24 has an arched top 25 and the interior walls are surfaced with appropriate refractory material. At one side is shown a charging door 26 and at the front end a door 21 which may be used both to charge and remove ash and other residue. In this case, a solid hearth 28 is shown sloping to an opening 29 through which molten material may pass into a removable receptacle Within the enclosed space 3B.

The chamber 24 being enclosed, the supply of air may be restricted by adjustment of the register 26 in the door to the proper degree to secure slow burning and relatively low temperatures. The smoke and fumes pass from chamber 24 through'the arched passage 3I into the heating chamber 32 (whose fuel feeding and ash doors are shown in dotted lines), sep-arated from the chamber 24 by a correspondingly lower bridge Wall, and into close proximity to the fuel which rests upon grate 33. An adequate heating of the smoke is thus eifected not only in the chamber 32 but in passing through the heated checker brick work 34. This heating, together with the additional air supplied in chamber 32 from the grate and through the opening 32 effects a thorough burning of the smoke and fumes which is completed in the secondary combustion chamber 35. The products of combustion then pass into the iiue 36.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated an apparatus designed particularly for a long-flame fuel such as dry rubbish. The burning chamber 31 wherein the supply of air is restricted by the register 31 is shown provided with a solid hearth 38 which slopes toward the front, and the opening 39 therein is closed by a removable plug 40. With this construction any molten lead collects adjacent the plug and it may be permitted to escapeV flame re may be introduced through the door 45. Ashes are collected in the ash space 46 and may be removed through the door 41 which together with opening 43 may serve to supply the rubbish or other materials providing the longexcess or additional air necessary to effect the combustion of the smoke and fumes.

The burning chamber 31 is provided with an arched top 48 which terminates short of the relatively high bridge wall 49 to provide the passage 50 through which the smoke andl fumes pass. The smoke from chamber 31 and the burning gases from the chamber 43 initially mingle in the space 5I and pass through the checker brick work 52 where the heating of the smoke and fumes is completed. The completion of the combustion of the smoke and fumes takes place in the secondary combustion chamber 53 from which the gases pass into the flue 54. This chamber as well as the passage 50 and space 5I are sufficiently remote that little or n0 heat is transmitted to the burning chamber.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated one form of apparatus which may be employed in connection with the recovery of molten lead. In order to avoid the entrance of an unregulated quantity of air through the opening in the hearth through which the molten lead is designed t0 pass, it is desirable to provide some means whereby the lead may be conveniently withdrawn while yet excluding air. Moreover, it is undesirable to cast the lead into pigs by successive additions which solidify, because of the fact that the ash carried out with the lead would be in the pig instead of floated on the surface. It is, therefore, desirable to permit the lead to collect and then cast it only at intervals. However, Where lead is permitted to collect and partially solidify, it is often difficult again to remelt it. It is desirable, therefore, to collect the lead in such a way that it may be maintained in molten condition or easily remelted. In Fig. 4 is shown an apparatus which may be easily added to any of the destructors above described. The apparatus comprises an open ended receptacle in the form of a large, inclined pipe 55 which is placed in communication with the outlet 56 in the floor of the hearth 51 of the burning cham-i ber. The molten lead drains down the inclined bottom of the pipe into a cylindrical receptacle 58 having an outlet 59 in its bottom closed by a plug 6U which may advantageously be made of graphite with its end tapered to t the outlet seat. The lead thus collects in the receptacle 58 and the lower end of the pipe 55 both of which are surrounded by the walls 6I 0f a heating chamber. Heat may be supplied by any appropriate means, such as by a re onvgrate 62, to maintain the lead in molten condition. After suicient lead has accumulated to form one or more standard sized pigs, the plug 60 may be raised slightly by its handle 63 which is Weighted to hold the plug on its seat t0 permit the lead to escape slowly into the mold 64 to bei cast into pigs.

The means for collecting the lead without admitting C001 air into the chamber and for heating the lead may, of course, be embodied in structures whose details vary Widely from those illustrated.

Where it is desired to burn or destroy materials containing a highly inflammable substance, the initial burning likewise takes place slowly and at low temperatures by restricting the supply of air. The resulting fumes, while combustible, are not of an explosive character at their low temperatures; and when mixed with additional air and a large volume of gases from the heating chamber, they are diluted sufficiently so as not to be explosive and are thereby consumed with safety.

It will be noted that in the apparatus herein described, the mixture of the hot burning gases with the smoke and fumes takes place at a remote point so as not to accelerate the burning in the burning chamber; and the rate of burning in the latter may, therefore, be easily controlled and retarded. This results in the generation of fumes and smoke at a relatively slow rate and does not impair the value of the materials such as copper and lead which it is desired to recover. The subsequent heating of the smoke and fumes to a high temperature and the addition of air results in their complete combustion and no objectionable smoke and fumes issue from the flue of the apparatus.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative constructions herein shown and described since these may be variously modified. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly since various features may be used to advantage in different combinations and sub-combinations.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of burning materials containing recoverable metal which is characterized by initially burning the materials with a restricted amount of air to convert the combustible contents into smoke and gas at low temperatures` so as. not to injure the metal, then conducting said smoke and gases away from the point of initial burning, and heating the same with an adequate supply of air to effect a safe and complete combustion of the gases and smoke.

2. The method of burning materials containing recoverable metal which is characterized by initially burning the materials with a restricted amount of air to convert the combustible contents into smoke and gas at low temperatures so `as not to injure the metal, then conducting said smoke and gases away from the point of initial burning, and mixing the same with hot burning gases and air in addition to that necessary for the said hot gases to heat the said smoke and gases and effect complete combustion thereof.

3. The method of burning materials containing recoverable metal which is characterized by initially b-urning the materials with a restricted amount of air at low temperatures to drive off the combustibles in the form of gases and smoke without burning the metal, conducting such relatively cool gases away from the remaining metal and heating the same to an adequately high combustion temperature, adding air and burning the said gases and smoke at a temperature which results in complete combustion.

4. The method of destroying readily inflammable materials or materials which produce large volumes of smoke under ordinary combustion which is characterized by initially burning such materials on an imperforate hearth in a substantially closed chamber and restricting the admission of air thereto so as to produce a slow burning at relatively low temperatures, generating a supply of hot burning gases from a separate source and mixing the same with an excess of air at a point removed from said chamber so that said materials in said chamber are not exposed to the heat generated, conducting the products of such slow burning out of such chamber and mixing the same with said hot burning gases and air at a point sufficiently removed from said materials so that the said products of such slow burning may be completely consumed Without accelerating the burning of said materials.

5. A destructor for burning materials which may evolve objectionable smoke or fumes or are highly inflammable comprising in combination a heat supply chamber having therein means for supplying hot burning gases and air, a combustion chamber, a passage connecting said chamber through which said hot burning gases and air may ypass into said combustion chamber, a burning chamber having a substantially imperforate hearth, said burning chamber being closed to prevent uncontrolled admission of an excess of air but provided with means for admitting a controlled limited supply of air in which said ma.- terials may be initially burned slowly and at low temperatures in said burning chamber isolated from the heating effect of said heat supply chamber, said burning chamber being spaced from the path of said hot burning gases so that `said materials are not subjected to the direct heating action thereof, said burning chamber connected with said passage at a point remote from said materials so that the latter do not lie in the path of said hot gases, and an insulating Wall for shielding said materials from the heat of said heat supply chamber.

ARTHUR H. MANN. 

